NEWS: Otis Gibbs @ The Cluny, Newcastle

The Jumpin’ Hot Club bring the legend back to Tyneside once again

By Lee Fisher
on Wednesday, July 8th, 2015

Otis Gibbs is the real deal – a country-folk singer songwriter who is equal parts Townes Van Zandt, Robbie Fulks and Woody Guthrie; part hobo romantic, part working class firebrand (this is a man, after all, who has eaten some of the ashes of IWW martyr Joe Hill). His songwriting is sheer quality – evocative, honest, unadorned – and with his charismatic, affecting voice and some fine guitar work it’s not surprising that he’s widely regarded as something of a legend by the people who know about such things. He’s also a prolific podcaster – his weekly Thanks For Giving A Damn show is now into triple figures – and has a charming way with an anecdote.

On Friday 10th July he’s back in Newcastle as the inimitable Jumpin’ Hot Club team bring him back to Tyneside yet again. His appearance on the SummerTyne Americana outdoor stage on a rainy afternoon last year will doubtless have tipped a few hundred more people off to how special Gibbs is, so this is likely to be a busy gig.